NAMES & FACES

Eddie Murphy's Little Angel, Cont'd

A day after Eddie Murphy confirmed that he is the father of Melanie Brown 's baby, the former Spice Girl's lawyer complained that Murphy isn't accepting his parental responsibilities.

"He has not indicated in his statement or to us that he plans to visit the baby," attorney Gloria Allred said Saturday.

Brown's primary concern is that Murphy "see his child, spend time with her, hold her, love her and bond with his daughter," Allred said.

Murphy, 46, "always has and will continue to honor his responsibilities as a father," according to a statement released Friday by his publicist, Arnold Robinson.

"He acknowledges paternity of the child Angel and has paid child support to Ms. Brown, as well as covering the expenses of her pregnancy," Robinson said.

Murphy, who is engaged to film producer Tracey Edmonds, considers the matter private and planned to have no further comment, he said.

Angel Iris Murphy Brown was born April 3. Brown, 32, also has an 8-year-old daughter.

Krauss and Plant's Sound Idea

It all started at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, where bluegrass darling Alison Krauss and former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant first sang together a few years ago. Now the two have teamed up to release a joint album called "Raising Sand," which will be released Oct. 23 on Rounder Records, the label announced Friday.

The album is a conceptual record of sorts, on which the two interpret some out-of-the-way material from country, R&B, blues and folk songwriters including Mel Tillis, Townes Van Zandt, Tom Waits, Gene Clark, Little Milton Campbell, Doc Watson and the Everly Brothers.

In announcing the record, producer T Bone Burnett said, "You've got two singers that can handle a wide range of material -- storytellers. So you look for the stories."

The album, recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles, has a cast of supporting musicians including guitarists Marc Ribot and Norman Blake, multi-instrumentalist Mike Seeger, drummer Jay Bellerose and bassist Dennis Crouch.

After Delay, Usher Ties the Knot

Usher and Tameka Foster, who called off their nuptials last week, leading to much speculation that somebody was having second thoughts, quietly tied the knot Friday at the Atlanta home of the multi-platinum singer's lawyer, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. This setting was a far cry from the extravagant affair planned for July 28 at the home of music mogul L.A. Reid. Those in attendance Friday included Usher's mom and ex-manager, Jonetta Patton, who reportedly disapproved of the union.

The singer told Us Weekly that the July wedding was called off because of a "pregnancy scare" leading to Foster's brief hospitalization.

Winehouse's Whereabouts

Spotted on Seventh Street in Chinatown across from Verizon Center just after midnight Friday: British soul diva Amy Winehouse with husband Blake Fielder-Civil and entourage. Wearing her trademark beehive, the waiflike singer said she was "playing a gig in town" (the Virgin Music Festival in Baltimore) and "just looking for somewhere to eat." The group was seen going in and out of McCormick & Schmick's, Clyde's and Zola, all of which were closed.

It was a busy weekend for Winehouse. She performed yesterday in Chicago at Lollapalooza, where thousands of music fans swarmed the Windy City's lakefront for three days of music, beer and sweat in what's billed as the nation's biggest alternative music festival. Indie-rock veterans Pearl Jam closed the festival last night. Other headliners included French house-music pair Daft Punk, American indie rockers Spoon and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and punk legends Iggy Pop and Patti Smith.

-- Compiled by Jocelyn Aucoin from staff and wire reports